Dias: Transnordestina project should be resumed by the end of this year.
Governor Wellington Dias met with the president of the Transnordestina company, Sérgio Leite, to discuss the resumption of work on the Transnordestina Railway and other agreements aimed at completing the project. According to the governor, the report needed for the Interministerial Council to authorize the conditions for resuming work on the railway, along with the Federal Court of Accounts, is now ready. The project includes 1.753 kilometers of railway, benefiting 81 municipalities, 18 of which are in Piauí, the state where the works are most advanced. Dias stated, "Our expectation is that work will resume by the end of this year, which will generate jobs and income."
By Pablo Cavalcante
Governor Wellington Dias was in an audience, on the afternoon of this Tuesday (03), at the headquarters of Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional (CSN), where he discussed, together with the president of the Transnordestina company, Sérgio Leite, the resumption of the works of the Transnordestina Railway and other understandings that aim at the completion of the work.
According to Dias, the report that was missing for the Interministerial Council to authorize the conditions, together with the Federal Court of Accounts, for the resumption of the railway works is now ready. “This project is extremely important. A section in Piauí has already been completed, passing through the municipality of Trindade, heading towards Pernambuco, passing through Paulistana, Jacobina do Piauí and continuing towards Eliseu Martins,” explains the governor.
Another piece of good news is the approval of the technical, economic, and environmental feasibility study for the project, enabling its continuation. “We already have private sector partners who should join us in a way that allows us to proceed with the project. On the other hand, Piauí is the state where the projects are most advanced. Our expectation is that work will resume by the end of this year, which means the generation of jobs and income,” points out the head of the Piauí state executive branch.
The completion of the Transnordestina Railway is of fundamental importance for the development of the Northeast region, facilitating the transport of mineral, grain, and timber production, mainly between the municipalities of the Cerrado region and the semi-arid area.
Rail transport allows for the transportation of cargo at a lower cost. When completed, the project will integrate an important route for the flow of production, connecting to the ports of Pecem, in Ceará, and Suape in Recife, Pernambuco.
The Transnordestina construction project restructures 1.753 kilometers of railway, benefiting 81 municipalities – 18 in Piauí, 28 in Ceará, and 35 in Pernambuco. Of that, 395 km of railway are located within the state of Piauí.
It is estimated that the project will receive investments of around R$ 560 million throughout 2017, originating from the federal government and the private sector. The railway is estimated to be completed in 2019.